<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Sun Don't Shine Like It Used To by bep_bop</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28458411">The Sun Don't Shine Like It Used To</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bep_bop/pseuds/bep_bop'>bep_bop</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Newsies Oneshots (Mostly Ralbert) [18]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, M/M, Post War, Post-Apocalypse, World War Three, i love them, look at my ralbert boys go, pls this was so fun to write</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:01:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>635</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28458411</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bep_bop/pseuds/bep_bop</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It'd been five years since the war and Albert hadn't seen his best friend since it started.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Albert DaSilva/Racetrack Higgins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Newsies Oneshots (Mostly Ralbert) [18]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1982263</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Sun Don't Shine Like It Used To</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>i had so much fun writing this. Like, this was very entertaining to write.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sun gently rose over the desolate remains of Lower Manhattan, the light hit all the twisted and broken metal in the perfect places, the lurking plants seemed to stretch their leaves. Five years ago, the third world war had wiped out so many countries and the United States was practically blown off the map. Nobody had bothered to rebuild the elegant city that once stood there.</p><p>Albert Dasilva sat on the roof of one of the stronger buildings. It had once been an apartment building, but that no longer mattered.</p><p>Albert felt the sun warm his face up as he watched the few residents of Manhattan wake up. Not many had stayed in America after the war had happened, they had fallen into anarchy. But over time, things calmed down and it was once again safe to walk down the street without a weapon.</p><p>He was gazing over the broken skyline when he noticed something quite unusual. A man with a head of curly blonde hair was wandering the streets, looking lost. Albert almost didn't say anything, but he felt that would be rude. He climbed down the fire escape and jogged over to the newcomer.</p><p>"Hey-" He began to call out to the stranger before he recognized that face. His best friend, who had gone missing right before the war had started, suddenly turned up again.</p><p>Racetrack, the blonde, had looked up and seen Albert. His face split into a wide grin before sprinting over and launching himself at the redhead. Albert tightly wrapped his arms around Race and the two held the embrace like the world was ending. If you had asked either of them four years ago, yeah, they'd agree the world was ending. But right now, everything was okay.</p><p>"Race..." Albert quietly mumbled.</p><p>"Heya Albie. I hope you didn't miss me too much." Race softly chuckled. "I didn't mean to keep you waiting for five years."</p><p>Albert laughed and loosened his grip on Race, "Oh I didn't worry too much, I just thought you were dead for the past five years." Tears slipped out of his eyes as he gazed at the blonde in front of him. It felt like a dream, a dream he could wake up from any second now.</p><p>Albert smiled and wiped the tears off of his face, "I'm sorry Race, I'm just- I'm so overwhelmed right now. You're here, in front of me, and alive! It's nice that you're alive."</p><p>"I'm glad you're alive too. I don't know what I'd do without my best friend of twenty years." Race said.</p><p>"Twenty years! Holy shit, that makes us sound so old."</p><p>"Well, we are twenty five."</p><p>"You're right."</p><p>Albert led Race up to where he was staying, it wasn't much but it's enough for him to get by. Extravagant apartments aren't really a giant concern anymore, seeing as most, if not all, got destroyed.</p><p>"So Race, where have you been keeping yourself? You seem to be in good shape."</p><p>Race jumped slightly as the question and hesitated to answer, "I went somewhere where they would never find me."</p><p>"Who?"</p><p>"Motherfuckin' army recruiters. You're lucky they let you go."</p><p>Then Albert remembered, Race had left a note the night before he left, saying he was leaving and going somewhere where the army couldn't find him.</p><p>"Did they ever get you?" Albert poured a cup of coffee and offered it to Race who denied.</p><p>"Nah, I hid for the entirety of the war and I managed to make it out alive."</p><p>"I'm just, so fucking glad that you're here, standing in my tiny ass home."</p><p>Race stared at his best friend, tears forming in his eyes. He still couldn't believe that they were in the same place again.</p><p> </p><p>Two paths parted, but they were destined to meet again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hope you liked it!<br/>(dedicated to Jace and their hate of Racetrack Higgins /hj)</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>